Love Act 143: sidedish
by puRpLebLuSh017
Summary: Her heart was stolen. Her life was taken away. She's a victim of love. And you, Ryoma Echizen is downright guilty! You are hereby sentenced to love her forever! [nonyaoi][ryosaku]
1. Ryoma on Trial

**Love Act 143**

A RyoSaku version

_Written by purpleblush017_

If there's anything Ryoma Echizen didn't like, it has to be stepping out of his comfort zone. (Or stepping _in_ a Tezuka zone)

And that's exactly what he's feeling right now.

Echizen Ryoma is uncomfortable.

Normally, he'd 'Twist Serve' the cause of this feeling. But no, the Gods decided to turn their backs on him, playing a little game with him, pushing, no, shoving his buttons again and again. What's worse? He couldn't do anything about it. Unfortunately, his nightmare came.

His senpais _finally _cracked.

Being cornered by his Regular Tennis-playing senpai's after school, bringing him to God knows where, and tying him up on a wooden chair is a proof of that. He always knew that something's wrong with his comrades. It was just a matter of time they'd show their true color. Kidnapping him is just one issue he can handle. But the moment he saw the dark glint on senpai Fuji Syuusuke's eyes, Ryoma instantly knew that he's not going to like this.

Fuji's smile is as good as a clear warning of a very bloody massacre and slaughter.

Ryoma felt a cold freezing tremor run along his body.

Shiver. Shiver.

Add the fact that Momoshiro-senpai's disturbing grin stirred up the tension. Then there's Kinimitsu Tezuka's smirking face. Oh, here comes hell! So, the guy can _semi_-smile after all. Feeling endangered for his own life, Ryoma wiggled and shifted on his seat, trying to break free and make a very desperate run for it. A loud creak was heard upon doing so.

All of his eight senpai's surrounded him, giving him a _frightening _smile.

"Now, now, ochibi! Don't try to escape on us!" his red-headed-acrobatic-tennis-playing senpai, Kikumaru Eiji warned, patting his deep green bundle of hair.

Ryoma sneered. Trust the great Seigaku Tennis club regulars to be up for something. "You're not going to _rape_ me, are you?"

Upon hearing his amusing reply, the room was instantly filled with (evil) laughs, curses, protests and (demonic) snickers.

"Fsssh, I don't _swing_ THAT way, dumbass!" Kaido hissed.

"Ooh, Touch-y." Momoshiro-senpai teased.

Kaido's small squinted eyes, squinted even more. "Why _you _little—"

Before Kaido's claws could dig into Momoshiro's skin, Oishi-senpai-slash-mama-of-the-Seigaku-Tennis-club fortunately stopped him in time. "Please, you two, stop this. We have important matters to attend to." Oishi-mama looked over at Echizen.

And cute _wittle _Echizen glared in return, mentally wishing that his sempai's would literally drop dead. "What the hell is going on?" his golden cat-like eyes narrowed as he demanded an answer.

He felt a soft pressure on his shoulder, "Ssshh… _relax_, ochibi." Fuji soothed, almost seductively, which made his hair stand up.

"Don't touch me!" the small and favorite prince of tennis yelled. How can someone relax when he's kidnapped by a can-easily-snap-in-a-moment-slash-purely-evil-inside person? Which in Ryoma's case, he's surrounded by eight. "You people really _are _GAY!" he accused dramatically.

"ENOUGH!" Seigaku's male Tennis club captain, Tezuka announced. "It's about to start." As if on queue, the lights flickered on.

There was another someone who entered the room as his sempai's silently sat down on their respective seats. It was then Ryoma realized that Horio and Katsuo were there as well. The Ichinens were incomplete for Kachiro seems to be missing in the picture. Ryoma could only smirk in triumph, Kachiro is a bad boy and he was punished correspondingly.

"State your name." a new voice rang inside the room, the command, directed at Ryoma. And he could only glare in return at his Seigaku Tennis club coach—Ryuuzaki Sumire.

_Even she is involved in this? _

"State your name." Sumire repeated, her wrinkles showing.

There are two persons Echizen Ryoma couldn't defy—Kinimitsu Tezuka and Ryuuzaki Sumire. It's not like he's afraid of them or something, come on, he doesn't even respect his old man. It's just that he never wanted to run hundreds of laps around Japan.

"Echizen Ryoma." He answered grudgingly. Whatever this is, it's not going to be good.

"Age?"

Remember your goal Echizen, Tennis Pro, Wimbledon, French open, Australian open and US open. Keep that in mind.

"_Twelve_."

Is this some kind of trial? An interrogation? Has he done something wrong?

"Ryoma Echizen. Twelve years old. First year. I hereby find you guilty."

His eyes widen in shock. _What the hell?_ Didn't he have a say in this?

"What the hell is this about?" he demanded an answer, now.

Sumire smirked, "You don't believe you're guilty?"

He snorted. "I don't even know what I'm accused of."

The old hag eyed him. "And here I thought you were supposed to be the genius around here."

Ryoma gave her his super-duper-mega-wega-ultimate glare. It was odd. All of the people in the room besides him seemed to be smirking or smiling evilly, way,_ waaay_ too EVIL. Yeah, his trouble senses were driving him insane. This spells disaster.

"Fine." Sumire looks at him amused, then smiles. "I call in…"

_A witness?_

"…Sadaharu Inui."

A tall man stood up upon stating his name. His eyeglasses shimmered as he adjusted them. The data-gathering tennis player, Sadaharu Inui walked towards an empty seat a few feet away from tied-up Echizen. Sumire looked at him and said, "Do you swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, or so heaven forbid me I will not kick you out of the tennis club?"

Inui raised an eyebrow to say something equally intellectual and sarcastic at the same time but when he coded the seriousness on Sumire's face, he decided not to. "I do."

Echizen was shocked, mouth hanging open. "What in—"

"Shut your mouth!" Sumire gave him a glare. "And you better listen _very well_, Ryoma!" she commanded. So bossy. She nodded at Inui to say something or say what she needed to hear.

"Before I start telling my side of the story, let me say something first. I did not stalk. As a senpai, I am merely concerned about Echizen's actions. And my concern led to my confession." Inui said, looking stoic as ever. "Let me repeat, I was not stalking, I was_ concerning_."

Ryoma sneered. _Yeah, right._

"Get on with it, Inui." Sumire demanded.

Inui took out one of his data book from God knows where, flipped its pages and glanced at the crowd, as if preparing for a speech. And a speech did come out, "It all started on date: September 27. Ryoma Echizen, 1st year, a regular of the Tennis club had started acting strange." He paused for a dramatic effect. "He started to cut his Tennis practice short, sometimes he would skip the whole session."

Kikumaru Eiji piped in, "Oh, I remember _nyah,_ those times when oichibi did not attend practice!"

"EHEM!" Sumire croaked, "Please continue."

Inui flipped the notebook, onto the next page. "So, after days of Echizen acting this way, I dismissed it, thinking that he might actually be in some sort of extra-curricular activity which will only last for less than a week. But to my surprise, this skipping of practice session is not some phase. As it happened, it became a routine. And before I knew it, Ryoma Echizen hardly goes to after-class practice anymore." He adjusted his eyeglasses and continued.

"So, as a concerned senpai that I am, I followed Echizen after his last class." He paused before saying, "Guess where he went."

Momoshiro raised his hand and grinned, "To the ladies bathroom!"

"_Fsshh_, you dope! Why would Echizen go there?" Kaido hissed.

"Isn't that obvious, Mamushi!? To peek at girls—"

"He's not like _you_, fsssshhh."

Momoshiro's eyes rounded. "What'd you just say? Why I oughta—!"

"Ara," Oishi started to stop them.

Inui shrugged, immune to their cat and dog antic and continued. "Echizen Ryoma went to the Female Tennis club. To_ fetch_ Ryuuzaki Sakuno."

Eyes widened. And then snickers were heard.

Looks were straightly directed at the boy in the chair. Cat-like eyes shimmered with anger, a blush creeping on his cheeks, it seems. "I was…" the blushed deepened. His head turned opposite of them, "Che."

* * *

Flashback

"_Ryoma-kun?"_

_He stood straigh, with all his glory. He stood there all handsome and fresh, his cat-like eyes examining her through the fence. The green zigzag strips of metal entangled together that served as a blockage for him to reach and touch her lay strong. _

_Her loose hold on her pink racket tightened. There appeared to be a small tint of pink forming on her cheeks, as she became aware that the Prince of Tennis was actually—checking her out. Her blush deepened._

_In her warm and barely audible voice, she tried to snap him out of his reverie, "Ryoma-kun?"_

_Which actually worked._

"_Your skirt is too short." He plainly said. Straight to the point._

_The shy and conscious girl fidgeted as her hands automatically fiddled the hem of her Tennis skirt. "Eh? Ano…"_

_He must admit, she has pretty legs. And those same legs are not to be taken lightly in the eyes of a maniac or a sane person like him. Ryuuzaki Sakuno is just too innocent for her own good. As Echizen being in the same year level as her, it had fallen on his shoulders to protect the coach's granddaughter. _

_Ryoma Echizen adjusted his cap, "I'll walk you home." _

_He's just concerned. That's all._

_Right?_

"_Eh?" she looked surprised. She glanced sideways. "But I still have Tennis practice. And I—"_

"_I'll wait."_

_Her auburn eyes shimmered in disbelief. Did she just hear that right?_

"_I'll wait." Ryoma repeated clearly._

_Sakuno never knew that day would be wonderful._

End Flashback

* * *

Everyone looked at Echizen with a malicious smile etched on their faces, even Tezuka Kinimitsu gave off a smirk.

"I always knew you weren't gay, Echizen!" the enthusiastic Momo-senpai yelled, musing over the small tale Inui have told them.

"Che." Ryoma resorted to ignore him. "What I did that day does not concern _you people_."

There was a fake cough, "Mainly, this has something, no, _a lot_ to do with us, Ryoma." The old coach gave a glare as if she's ready to eat his face whole. "My granddaughter has a lot to do with what we're doing right now."

Ryoma looked away, obviously annoyed.

"And I have to take note, that since that day onward, Echizen Ryoma walked her home." Inui added. "The sole reason why he kept missing all those after-class practice."

"Nyah! Ochibi's got a girlfriend!" Kikumaru laughed, cheering him on. "Ochibi's got a girlfriend!" he sang.

Horio scratched his head, "Eto, senpai stalked on Echizen to gain this information?"

Inui's glasses twinkled as he adjusted them. "As I have explained, I was merely _concerning_."

Ryoma twitched. _Concerning his ass_. Why did this happento him?

"Tch."

* * *

"Next. Proceed to the stand, Oishi."

_Oishi-senpai?_


	2. Justice, is it?

"Next. Proceed to the stand, Oishi."

_Oishi-senpai?_

"Okay, I mean no harm in here," the vice-captain of the Seigaku Tennis Club glanced at Ryoma Echizen before sitting on a chair a on the other side. "Sorry, Echizen."

Ryoma's cat-like eyes hinted guilt in his senpai's form.

"So, I was on my way to the grocery store that day. I ran out of food for my precious fishes and I couldn't bear them eating one another, can I? Because that'll be really dreadful." Oishi sighed.

Kikumaru piped in, "Ne, you're talking off the point here, Oishi, nyah!"

Oishi scratched his egg-like head, "Sorry, sorry. Thank you, Eiji." He nodded to his doubles partner as Eiji gave him a V-sign. "So, there I was on my way to the grocery store. A long walk but not that far away from the park. It was Sunday, and the sun was shinning brightly. The air was cool and everything was just A-okay. But then, I guess I was wrong…"

Flashback

"_I-Ittai…" she whimpers, sounding hurt. _

_The boy holding a red racket on his hand, standing beside the crouching girl looked almost like worried, "I told you to swing your racket a little higher."_

_There, the ditzy pigtailed Ryuuzaki Sakuno caressed her swollen ankle in a crouching position. Her pink racket long forgotten two meters away from her. There were hot tears forming on her eyes. _

_Shit! She's going to cry!_

_Alarmed, Ryoma crunched and looked over her ankle, instantly bringing the proximity between them closer. Enough reason for the auburn-haired lady blush and make her heart beat quicken. _

"_R-Ryoma-kun," she breathed with difficulty, her lungs were pretty tight right now. And her stomach was doing funny flips on its own. _

"_Hold still." Prince charming commands, one hand making contact with her flesh. "Can you stand up?" he looks up to meet her eyes._

_She stammered realizing the very small distance their faces were in. She could barely feel his breath and warmth, barely yet still, she could feel it. "I-I think I can," she shutters. And her traitorous hand grabs his arms for support, preparing to stand up._

_And then she completely fails and came stumbling down. _

_But good prince catches her, their bodies in contact with one another._

"_E-Eh!" she blushes hard, burying her face on her hands as she lean on him. And she decides, before he could get any weird ideas, she has to stay away. "I-I'm sorry, Ryoma-kun! I-I r-really, didn't mean to—"_

_And he notices her nervousness. He notices all. "You're too clumsy."_

_Sakuno felt that she should have been offended, but why would she defend the truth? "I'm really sorry," she whispers and makes a quick analysis: dear Ryoma-kun is mad at her for cutting their Tennis lesson short by gracefully twisting her ankle by trying to swing her racket a little lower than she should have. "I'll call oba-chan to come pick me up." She quickly said, embarrassed. "Thank you for today's Tennis lesson, Ryoma-kun."_

"_Ch," the boy sneered. "You didn't learn anything."_

"_I know," she looked at her white new shoes. She was tempted to wring her hands around the said boy and lean in more. "I'm sorry."_

_Realizing that they had been leaning on one another too long, Ryoma clears his throat and carries her towards a bench with his guidance. She plays with the hem of her skirt and notices Ryoma picking up their rackets and Tennis balls on the ground. There was a pang of guilt that ran through her. She silently decides that next time, she'd make it up to him, bring him lunch maybe. _

_Ryoma arranged his things, his beloved racket on his bag, swung on his left shoulder. He also took her bag, hanged it on the same shoulder. He crouched, his back facing her._

_She blushed, her head getting light._

"_R-Ryoma-kun, I'll just call oba-ch—"_

_He snorted impatiently, though he was able to make it sound so elegant in Sakuno's ears. "I'll carry you home." He simply said. When she didn't answer, he glanced past his shoulder, staring at her. "Come on."_

_As meekly as she can, her shaking hands touched his shoulders, her petite body slowly leaning on his back. Ryoma slowly stood up and adjusted her, hooking his hands on her legs. _

_Sakuno could feel strong heat forming on her face. Her lungs compressed. Her heart pounded hard, as if ready to pop out of her chest. Her stomach, crunching in sheer delight. _

_When she rested her head on Ryoma's back and inhaled his scent, she was all set to die at that very moment._

End flashback

"I followed them. I was worried that in their way, someone might do them wrong. Regarding their disposition, they are in a certain disadvantage. Luckily, there was no danger. He gave her a piggy back all the way home. And do you realize how long it takes walking from there to the Ryuuzaki residence? Long I tell you! It was a long way! _Long_!"

"_I'm really sorry to have cost you trouble, Ryoma-kun."_

"_It was a good exercise."_

"_I'm really sorry for being clumsy…and…causing you to…"_

"_It doesn't matter. It wasn't that bad."_

"_Huh?"_

"_Just take care of yourself. I'm not always there to cushion your fall. Focus. Put a cold patch to that ankle for the swell to shrink. I'll see you in school tomorrow, Ryuuzaki."_

"_Eh?"_

"And then after being sucked in worry for those two first-years, I have totally forgotten about my fishes! I never reached the pet store! My poor fishes!"

* * *

"Eto…" Katsuo shutters, drowning on his saliva, sitting on the chair.

_Even Katsuo's in it?_

"Echizen," he greeted, looking at the green-haired boy tugged in ropes on the other corner of the room. "Kachiro, he…" he swallowed a lump on his throat, "held Ryuuzaki's hands."

Momoshiro looked scandalized, "Katchiro!?"

"For real, nyah!?" Kikumaru asked, tilting his head forward.

Horio looked around, "Katchiro is not here."

_Of course he isn't dingus._

"Aa. Right. Katchiro said he didn't want to participate in this." Katsuo shifted, nervous. Great, Sakuno's shyness was getting contagious. "Because of what happened. There's a small rift between him and Echizen." He forced not to look at Ryoma.

"A rift!?"

"Why?"

"Tell us what happened!"

Katsuo clasped his hands, as if praying for his safety. "I was actually there when it happened. It was at the library. Ryuuzaki was holding loads of books. And we saw her, and well, we…offered to help. We divided the books in three so that the burden was lighter. Out of nowhere, she trips, and lands on the ground. We immediately went to her side, assisting her. Katchiro offered his hand."

"Whoa," the background remained silent, listening.

"And Ryuuzaki took his hand." Katsuo finished.

"Whoa!" the tennis players roared in amusement and bafflement.

Katsuo gripped his hands tighter. "The next day, he called in sick to school."

"_Katchiro,"_

"_Echizen!"_

"_Let's play."_

"_Eh? I'm picking balls after Tennis practice. Besides, I wouldn't win against you, Echizen. I can't even win against Horio and you know how bad he is in Tennis!"_

"_Hn."_

_Plok._

"_Echizen! What do you think you're doing? Throwing balls at me!"_

"_Playing Tennis."_

"Echizen is _evil_, nyah!"

Katsuo avoided Ryoma's gaze, hoping to be spared of whatever consequences he had in store for him. While the Regulars including Horio and excluding Tezuka were discussing the main point here.

Their ochibi was a big _meanie_.

Oblivious to them, Echizen Ryoma was smirking.

To him, justice was served.

_He_ was justice.

* * *

"I totally saw it, nyah! With my own eyes! I swear _nyah_!"

_Ugh. Eiji-senpai._


	3. Closet person

I know I have lazed around in this story, but I wish to be forgiven! Accept this as a peace offering! (wink wink) Sorry!

-

-

-

-

"I totally saw it, nyah!"

_Ugh. Eiji-senpai._

"No lies! I swear to my death, nyah!" Kikumaru Eiji enthusiastically said, his eyes glowing in innocence. His mouth was slightly ajar, adding effect to his dramatical face as his eyebrows raised as high as it can. "I totally did and you wouldn't believe it!" he had his hands up in thin air, waving it for more attention. "Or maybe you would, considering that we are talking about Ochibi here, but _still_."

Ryuuzaki Sumire rubbed the bridge of her nose. Eiji was simply too energetic for her age. And mind. She could comprehend the boy, even if she tried. Well, most of the Seigaku Tennis male players all were. Prodigies and Tensais in their own, unique—(_ehem_!)Weird(_ehem_!)—way. Really.

"Enough rambling, Eiji. Tell us what you saw." The stern smooth and manly voice of Tezuka-buchou stood out from all the other compliments the other males were making. Ah, it must feel so good to have that leading slash commanding persona. So cool, Tezuka-buchou, so cool!

Eiji pouted slightly and dropped his arms just a little low, huffed and grinned, a sense of pride overflowing in his eyes. For Ryoma, his red headed senpai looked like, dare he say it—having fun sitting on that chair. He knew thanks to his honed observation skills that the acrobatic tennis-playing, though more childlike than he was, man like eyes and ears attuned at him. And as Ryoma looked at his senpai who was now on the hot seat a.k.a. the witness chair, he finally made a decision as he diagnosed him with 'Attention overdose'—

The red-head rolled his eyes playfully, "Well, if you really like, as in really, really like to know, then…" she stopped and grinned blindingly and freakishly before he continued saying, "I'll have no choice but to tell you, nyah!"

—and that he was simply loving every moment of it. Ryoma hid his face on his palms. The tight knot that was forming on his stomach said one thing: embarrassment. Lots of it.

-

Flashback

_It was a hot day._

_The perfect excuse to go to the mall and enjoy its very cool air-conditioning._

_And that was just what Kikumaru Eiji was going to do as he happily clicked his cell phone off. He had invited his best friend (shh! It's not supposed to go around. For Eiji loved to think that he treats his friends equally even though he preferred the company of the fish-loving man. But anyway, he preferred that nobody ever got jealous because his presence was just… captivating people to surround and revolve around him. Right.) slash doubles partner to go with him and stroll around the mall and maybe play arcade._

_He was about to skip off silently out of the house when one of his sisters caught him and had swindled him into buying her… female stuff. Not that Eiji minded he was so used being tricked into buying things the Alpha male shouldn't be seen buying that it seemed so natural for him to be inside the sweet scented and very female store. He metrically walked towards a hall, picked up a soft pack and quickly made purchase._

_The sweet and malicious smile of the guard at him, the stares of the females inside the store, the cashier's retort of: "Buying these_ _for your girlfriend?" and "That time of the month, huh!?" didn't even made the hyper Seigaku Tennis club regular falter. Though a text message coming from Oishi saying that he was sorry and wouldn't be able to come for he was tied up with blah blah blah, made Kikumaru slump a little, he recovered when someone unexpected entered the female store and bumped on him._

_"Gomen." That someone said tone low and bored. It even sounded not apologetic. And he knew that voice. And that cap._

_And those eyes!_

_"Ochibi!?" Kikumaru whispered in disbelief as Ryoma's figure brushed past him totally oblivious to the fact that his acrobatic-playing senpai just saw him. Kikumaru grinned sheepishly like that of a Cheshire cat and decided to play Mr. Detective with his favorite kohai._

_It seemed that this day was a lucky day after all._

End Flashback

-

The crowd went 'O' as a response.

"I did not—!" Ryoma started his defense. "I was not—!" But the poor prodigy was cut off better yet was unheard for all the people inside the room erupted in their own conversation and snickering and giggly questions.

"Haha!" Momoshiro laughed, hugging his stomach. "Oi, Echizen! Who would have thought you were a closet person!?"

-

Flashback

_Ryuuzaki Sakuno's head turned from left and right as if looking for something though she did not know what it was. She fidgeted slightly as she met her crush's eyes. For that small span of emotional contact, she blushed and ran away from the tennis court._

_Kikumaru Eiji was coming from the bathroom. When he saw a blushing Sakuno running towards his direction, the red-haired boy nudged his brain. Why would she miss watching Echizen Ryoma's single's match? That was very un-Sakuno and un-fan girl indeed. Ergo, confusion roused in the senpai's heart._

_"Sakuno-chan?"_

_The girl slowly stopped, bowing as sign of respect, "Senpai," she uttered softly, barely hearable. But Eiji did not mind in the least. Instead, his eyes were focused on the thing—a small rectangular box covered by a blue glossy foil with a frilly pink ribbon on top wherein he was pretty sure left no sender's card—that was resting on her arms, carrying it like her baby._

_Kikumaru's eyes shined as he was able to connect the pieces of information together. His eyes moved from the cute pig-tailed girl and then to the not-so suspicious box she was holding. "Ne, Sakuno-chan," He knew that box. Eiji smiled wholeheartedly and cheerily said, "Happy birthday!"_

_Said girl nodded and blushed._

_"Thank you, senpai."_

_And the girl rushed off to God knows where._

End Flashback

-

"So sweet Echizen-san!"

Ryoma flinched. "I _don't_ do sweet!" he seethed every word.

"Ever the humblest Ochibi!" Kikumaru said.

"I _did_ not—!" Ryoma tried again as Fuji's gleaming eyes opened up to him. But Seigaku's Ochibi stopped short when the sight of Kinimitsu Tezuka's smirk greeted him. He knew whatever fell from his lips would be lost cause. It seemed at that time, only one thing—glaring at his nosy senpais was the right thing to do.

So he did.

-

-

-

-

_His_ smile was something he always loathed.

And yet that _he_—that _thing_ smiles again.

"Syuusuke Fuji."

Ryoma groaned.


End file.
